Luggage case

ABSTRACT

A luggage case includes a case body, a handle, and at least one cable. The handle is retractably connected to the case body and includes a shaft and a hand grip, wherein the shaft has one end connected to the case body and the other end connected to the hand grip. The shaft is retractable to adjust a distance between the hand grip and the case body. The cable has one end connected to the hand grip and the other end connected to the case body. The cable extends and is exposed between the hand grip and the case body when the shaft extends out from the case body. The cable retracts in a winding manner as the shaft retracts to the case body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a luggage case. Particularly,the present invention relates to a luggage case having accessory cables.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Today luggage cases have become a requisite accessory of miscellaneouspeople who travel frequently, and a variety of luggage cases indifferent size can be selected depending on situations, such astraveling abroad, business trip, or shipping items between locations. Inaddition to size, a variety of designs are provided, such as hard caseand soft case. Moreover, some luggage cases have one or more zipperpockets on the outer side for accommodating small items. However,generally, luggage cases are not designed for easy access to itemsaccommodated therein during the trip or shipping. Luggage cases areusually designed to have a closed configuration for convenient movementwhile a hand grip and wheels are disposed on the exterior of the luggagecase to facilitate the user's operation and the mobility of luggagecase.

On the other hand, it is common that users often make good use of thewheels to put the personal carry-on bag or belongings on the luggagecase to be moved together. Because of a concise outline of luggage case,the users usually can merely put the personal carry-on bag or belongingsnear the hand grip or the handle shaft. However, because of the shakingcaused by movements of the luggage case, the accessories attached to ordisposed on the luggage case are mostly not steadily fixed thereon andeven drop down to the floor interrupting the movement. As a result, itis desired to provide a luggage case for steadily supporting personalcarry-on bags or small luggage disposed thereon to be smoothly movedwith the luggage case.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a luggage casehaving accessory cables.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a luggage casefor shipping items that may differ in size.

The luggage case of the present invention includes a case body, ahandle, and at least one cable. The handle is retractably connected tothe case body and includes a shaft and a hand grip, wherein the shafthas one end connected to the case body and the other end connected tothe hand grip. The shaft is retractable to adjust a distance between thehand grip and the case body. The cable has one end connected to the handgrip and the other end connected to the case body. The cable extends andis exposed between the hand grip and the case body when the shaftextends out from the case body. The cable retracts in a winding manneras the shaft retracts to the case body.

The luggage case of the present invention further includes a windingwheel disposed in the hand grip and/or the case body; the at least onecable is wound around the winding wheel as the handle retracts towardthe case body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1D are schematic views of the embodiment of the luggage case ofthe present invention;

FIG. 1E is a schematic view of the embodiment of the luggage case of thepresent invention in a state of use;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the luggage case ofthe present invention;

FIGS. 3A-3B are schematic views of another embodiment of the luggagecase of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A-4B are schematic views of still another embodiment of theluggage case of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A-5C are schematic views of still another embodiment of theluggage case of the present invention; and

FIGS. 6A-6B are schematic views of still another embodiment of theluggage case of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As FIGS. 1A-1B show, the luggage case 10 a of the present inventionincludes a case body 300, a handle 100 and at least one cable 200. Thehandle 100 is retractably connected to the case body 300 and includes ashaft 150 and a hand grip 120, wherein one end of the shaft 150 isconnected to the case body 300 and the other end of the shaft 150 isconnected to the hand grip 120. The shaft 150 is retractable to adjust adistance between the hand grip 120 and the case body 300.

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 1A, the shaft 150 of the luggage case 10 aincludes two poles disposed side by side and two ends of the hand grip120 are connected to the two poles, respectively. The two poles, forexample, may be disposed near two sides of the case body 300,respectively. However, in other embodiments, the shaft 150 may haveother configurations. For example, the shaft 150 may be in a U shapedframe configuration with two vertical poles connected to the case body300 and a horizontal bar connected between the two vertical poles,wherein the hand grip 120 can be made of any suitable material coveringthe horizontal bar. In another embodiment, the shaft 150 can be a singlepole, which forms a T shaped handle with the hand grip 120perpendicularly connected thereto (as shown in FIG. 2). That is, thenumber of such pole is not limited to the embodiments. Particularly, thepole(s) of the retractable shaft 150 can move relative to the case body300 in their extending direction to extend out from the case body 300,specifically out of a top portion 350 of the case body 300 or be atleast partly received inside the case body 300 as shown in FIG. 1 B, orin other embodiments, retreat toward the case body 300 if the handle 100is disposed and exposed on the rear side of the case body 300 (notshown).

The hand grip 120 can be formed as rod-like, flat piece-like, or othersuitable shapes, such as a shape suitable for hand gripping. Instead ofa long and narrow shape with two ends connected to the two poles of theshaft as shown in FIG. 1A, the hand grip 120 may be formed like ashorter bar or be a knob with its middle portion connected to the singlepole of the shaft 150 as shown in FIG. 2. In the embodiment that thehand grip 120 is a long and narrow shape, the extending direction of thehand grip 120 is usually consistent with the extending direction of alonger side of the top portion 350. In the embodiment that the poles ofthe shaft 150 are disposed side by side, it is preferably that two endsof the hand grip 120, which has a long and narrow shape, are connectedto the poles. As a result, the hand grip 120 and the shaft 150, andfurther the top portion 350 together enclose a scope of plane.

When the luggage case 10 a is in use, the user usually holds the handgrip 120 to pull out the handle 100. As such, the retractable shaft 150extends out from the case body 300 so that the distance between the handgrip 120 and the case body 300 is adjustable. When the luggage case 10 ais not in use; the user usually pushes the hand grip 120 downward sothat the shaft 150 retracts toward the case body 300, enabling thehandle 100 to be in a storage state, i.e. received in the case body 300.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, an accommodation space 400 isformed in the top portion 350. The accommodation space 400 has anextending direction consistent with the extending direction of the handgrip 120 and preferably has a long and narrow shape corresponding to theshape of the hand grip 120. When the shaft 150 is received in the casebody 300 completely (i.e. in the storage state), it is preferable thatat least a portion of the hand grip 120 is received in the accommodationspace 400 while the remaining portion is exposed for the user'soperation. As a result, when pulling up the handle 100 originally in thestorage state, it makes the hand grip 120 protrude out of the topportion 350 and then move away from the top portion 350. On the otherhand, the accommodation space 400 can be partially expanded at thecentral portion to form an operation space 401. The operation space 401corresponds to a location on the hand grip 120 for the user's operationof pulling the handle 100 up.

The cable 200 of the luggage case 10 a of the present invention has oneend connected to the hand grip 120 and the other end connected to thecase body 300, so that the cable 200 is retractably connected betweenthe hand grip 120 and the case body 300. The cable 200 is preferably aflexible structure in comparison to the shaft 150, so that the length ofthe cable 200 between the hand grip 120 and the case body 300 isadjustable in a winding or folding manner. In the preferred embodimentof the present invention, the cable 200 extends and is exposed betweenthe hand grip 120 and the case body 300 when the shaft 150 extends outfrom the case body 300, and at least a portion of the cable 200 retractsin a winding manner as the shaft 150 retracts to the case body 300.Specifically, the cable 200 is preferably wound in the hand grip 120 (asshown in FIG. 1C) or in the case body 300 (as shown in FIG. 1D) as thehandle 100 retracts toward the case body 300. The retracting handle 100is usually able to reach the storage state, such as the state ofcompletely received in the accommodation space 40. In this regard, asthe embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, the cable 200 could be also in itsstorage state and substantially unseeable.

The at least one cable 200 includes a single or multiple cables 200. Ina case of multiple cables, the cables 200 are preferably spaced apartand aligned with the shaft 150. In the preferred embodiment shown inFIG. 1A, for example, two cables 200 are exposed between the hand grip120 and the case body 300, substantially parallel to the shaft 150, andform a support plane P together with the shaft 150, wherein the supportplane P substantially includes the above mentioned scope of planeenclosed by the hand grip 120, the shaft 150, and the top portion 350,and the spaced apart cables 200 serve as an auxiliary supporter tosupport any items disposed on the top portion 350. In the case that theshaft 150 includes two poles disposed side by side, especially two polesconnected to the two ends of the hand grip 120, the at least one cable200 is preferably disposed between the two poles and spaced therefrom.In addition, when it is especially provided cables 200 in pairs, each ofthe cables 200 in pairs is preferably located equidistant from itsnearest pole. In other embodiments, however, the at least one cable 200may be disposed outside the shafts 150; for example, there might be thepole(s) of the shaft disposed between the cables. (i.e. the other sidesof the shafts facing each other).

In the embodiment that the shaft 150 includes a single pole, as shown inFIG. 2, the at least one cable 200 is preferably connected to the handgrip 120 near one end thereof that is away from the single pole. In suchcase, the at least one cable 200 and the single pole from the supportplane P.

The unwound or folded length of the cable 200 is preferably greater thana vertical distance between the hand grip 120 and the top portion 350,so that the end of the cable 200 connected to the case body 300 passesthe accommodation space 400 in the top portion 350 and is receivedinside the case body 300. As such, it is a part of the unwound cable 200exposed between the hand grip 120 and the top portion 350. Depending onthe movement of the handle 100/hand grip 120 relative to the top portion350, the exposed part of the cable 200 is variable in length.Specifically, when the handle 100 moves toward the top potion 350 suchas the hand grip 120 being pushed, the distance between the hand grip120 and the case body 300 is shorten, the cable 200 is wound from theend connected to the hand grip 120 and/or the other end received insidethe case body 300 so that the part exposed between the hand grip 120 andthe top portion 350 is then received inside the hand grip 120 and/or thecase body 300.

As shown in FIG. 1C, for example, the luggage case 10 a further includesa winding wheel 110 disposed in the hand grip 120, wherein the cable 200is connected to the winding wheel 110 so as to be wound around thewinding wheel 110 as the handle 100 retracts toward the case body 300 orreleased from the winding wheel 110 as the handle 100 is pulled up.Particularly, the winding wheel 110 can include a rotational spring or atorsional spring. For example, the torsional spring of the winding wheel110 tends to its released state and therefore lets the winding wheel 110rotate to wind the cable 200, which in the preferred embodimentspecially happens along with the shaft 150 retracting to the case body300. On the other hand, when pulling the handle 100 away from the casebody 300 as well as enlarging the distance between the hand grip 120 andthe case body 300, the cable 200 having two ends respectively connectedto the hand grip 120 and the case body 300 is also pulled, forcing thewinding wheel 110 to rotate as well as to release the cable 200 from awinding state to an unwound state.

In addition, the luggage case 10 a further includes a supporting element130 disposed in the hand grip 100 and an opening 105 formed on a side ofthe hand grip 100 facing the top portion 350, which is preferable forthe cable 200 to pass therethrough. The portion of the cable 200 in thehand grip 120 may extend along the hang grip 100 between the windingwheel 110 and the supporting element 130, passing by the supportingelement 130, extends out of the hang grip 100 through the opening 105and naturally hangs down. In other words, the supporting element 130could change an extending direction of the cable 200 and mediatetogether with the opening 105 where the cable 200 is located relative tothe shaft 150. The other end of the unwound cable 200 is received insidethe case body 300, wherein another winding wheel may be optionallydisposed in the case body 300 so that the cable 200 may has the endreceived inside the case body 300 being connected to the winding wheeland wound therearound.

In addition, the winding wheel 110 and/or the supporting element 130give the cable 200 a tension or mediate a hanging direction of the cable200.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1D, the winding wheel 110 and thesupport element 130 are disposed in the case body 300 to let the cable200 be wound around as the handle 100 retracts toward the case body 300and change the extending direction of the cable 200. On the other hand,there might be an opening 106 formed on the top portion 350 of the casebody 300 for the cable 200 passing therethrough and extending out of thecase body 300. Alternatively, the cable 200 may extend out of the casebody 300 through the accommodation space 400 mentioned above.

Material of the cable 200 may be selected from metal, plastic, andrubber, and is preferably flexible material. On the other hand, thecable 200 may be replaced by flat strip such as a rubber belt. As FIG.1E shows, after pulling up the handle 100, a luggage 8 such as a packageor a handbag may be disposed and lean on the top portion 350 and theshaft 150 and further supported by the cables 200, which also improvesthe use of the luggage case 10 a. On the other hand, by means of thecable 200, items having smaller volume are prevented from dropping froma space between the poles of the shaft 150 when leaning thereon. In sum,the luggage case of the present invention has the cable acting as anauxiliary support for additionally supporting items different in size.

FIGS. 3A-3B are schematic views of another embodiment of the luggagecase 10 b of the present invention. As FIG. 3B shows, the accommodationspace for receiving the hand grip 120 is omitted from the top portion350 of the luggage case 10 b. As FIG. 3A shows, the hand grip 120 of thehandle 100 in the storage state is sitting on the top portion 350. Thecenter of the hand grip 120 is a gripping portion 102. When the handgrip 120 is sitting on the top portion 350, the gripping portion 102 andthe top portion 350 are apart by a space for the user's hand reaching tohold and operate hand grip 120. On the other hand, in addition to theopening 352 formed on the top portion 350 for the shaft 150 extendingout from the case body 300, a further opening 351 is provided for thecable 200 to pass through the top portion 350. FIGS. 4A-4B are schematicviews of still another embodiment of the luggage case 10 c of thepresent invention, wherein the hand grip 120 is formed to have astreamline shape.

FIGS. 5A-5C are schematic views of still another embodiment of theluggage case 10 d of the present invention, wherein depending on a shapeof the hand grip 120, one or more accommodation spaces 400 are formed onthe top portion 350 corresponding to two ends of the hand grip 120 whilethe shaft 150 can also extend out from the case body 300 through theaccommodation space 400. When the hand grip 120 of the handle 100 is inthe storage state, the side of the hand grip 120 facing the top portion350 is partially received in the accommodation space 400. On the hand,the opening 351 is formed on the top portion 350 for the cable 200 topass through the top portion 350. FIGS. 6A-6B are schematic views ofstill another embodiment of the luggage case 10 e of the presentinvention. In comparison to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A-5C, thehand grip 120 and the corresponding accommodation space 400 of theembodiment shown in 6A-6B may have different design.

Although the preferred embodiments of present invention have beendescribed herein, the above description is merely illustrative. Thepreferred embodiments disclosed will not limited the scope of thepresent invention. Further modification of the invention hereindisclosed will occur to those skilled in the respective arts and allsuch modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the invention asdefined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A luggage case, comprising: a case body; a handleretractably connected to the case body, the handle including a shaft anda hand grip, wherein one end of the shaft is connected to the case bodyand the other end of the shaft is connected to the hand grip, the shaftis retractable to adjust a distance between the hand grip and the casebody; and at least one cable having one end connected to the hand gripand the other end connected to the case body; wherein the at least onecable extends and is exposed between the hand grip and the case bodywhen the shaft extends out from the case body, and the at least onecable retracts in a winding manner as the shaft retracts to the casebody.
 2. The luggage case of claim 1, wherein a portion of the at leastone cable is wound in the hand grip or the case body as the handleretracts toward the case body.
 3. The luggage case of claim 2, furtherincluding a winding wheel disposed in the hand grip, the at least onecable is wound around the winding wheel as the handle retracts towardthe case body.
 4. The luggage case of claim 3, further including asupporting element disposed in the hand grip, wherein an extendingdirection of the at least one cable unwound from the winding wheel ischanged after passing by the supporting element.
 5. The luggage case ofclaim 1, wherein the hand grip further has an opening formed on a sideof the hand grip facing the case body to allow the cable to passtherethrough.
 6. The luggage case of claim 1, wherein the at least onecable exposed between the hand grip and the case body is substantiallyparallel to the shaft and forms a support plane together with the shaft.7. The luggage case of claim 1, wherein the shaft includes two polesdisposed side by side, and the at least one cable is disposed betweenthe two poles and spaced from the two poles.
 8. The luggage case ofclaim 2, further including a winding wheel disposed in the case body,the at least one cable is wound around the winding wheel as the handleretracts toward the case body.
 9. The luggage case of claim 8, furtherincluding a supporting element disposed in the case body, wherein anextending direction of the at least one cable unwound from the windingwheel is changed after passing by the supporting element.
 10. Theluggage case of claim 1, wherein the hand grip further has an openingformed on the case body to allow the cable to pass therethough.
 11. Theluggage case of claim 1, wherein the at least one cable is substantiallyunseeable as the handle retracts to the case body to enable the handleto be in a storage state.
 12. The luggage case of claim 1, wherein theshaft includes a single pole; the at least one cable is connected to thehand grip near one end of the hand grip that is away from the singlepole, and the at least one cable and the single pole form a supportplane.
 13. The luggage case of claim 1, wherein the at least one cableincludes multiple cables, and the cables are spaced apart and alignedwith the shaft.